[robertkellyacc]

I’m looking for a public accounting job after finishing the 150 credit requirement this past month. I have passed 3 of the 4 sections of the CPA exam. I took Regulation back in May. I’m waiting for the results. I have sent my resume to places in upstate NY but haven’t found a job yet. I’ve been on a few interviews. I didn’t land a job. A few of the places i’ve contacted wanted to hear back from me in the fall because that’s when they do their hiring.

I want to move to NYC on June 26th. What are my chances of getting a job in the city? I’ve ruled big 4 out because I don’t have any experience. Should I contact recruiters? Are they a waste of time without experience? How should I go about getting a job there? It seems everyone wants experience. I wish I had more connections in the city. It seems connections are key because the job postings online have 200 people apply to them. If anyone can help me out I would be grateful. I think i’m going to start sending my resume to as many firms as possible.

[steggy]

The biggest word of advice I can give is do not sell yourself short! Your first mistake is ruling out the Big 4 because you lack the experience. Granted an internship is extremely beneficial for these types of positions, you also proved yourself qualified and of a hard working ethic by passing 3/4 parts of the CPA exam while still recently completing the credit requirement.

My biggest fault going into a career was not valuing myself as highly as I should have been, and it clearly showed in my interviews where I had typical canned responses, and what I was ‘trained/taught' to respond to in college. Bottom line, normal responses are boring, and try to make each interview conclude as if you owned the interview and an equal exchange of dialog is said with you asking questions of the position, as well as boasting your credentials to a proud/not obnoxious level. The moment you build your confidence is all you need to make it in the real world.

Best advice I can give is anytime a phone number is listed for the position you are applying for, definitely give them a call! One obvious point that I did not understand, although others probably do, is that the actual department you are applying with typically has no involvement in the hiring process prior to the interview process. So if you feel like you are harassing/bothering those that you are inquiring about a job, it is only someone in HR doing recruiting that you will more likely than not even be interviewing with.

Set some main goals for yourself, do not sell yourself short, and you will do more than fine in landing a job you want. Use any failed opportunity as just a stepping stone to drive yourself even more into a position you actually want, rather than settling for a position just to gain experience.

Although this may not be helpful to you, I am strictly speaking form personal experience (3 years out of college).

[ImaCPA168]

Don't rule out Big 4. Getting an entry level job in public accounting requires ZERO experience. Demonstrate that you're going to work hard and you have goals. Definitely show case an outgoing personaltiy and that you can work well with others and in a team environment. They want to know that you can pull the busy season hours, that you can get along with team members, and that you are personable especially the clients.

I remember when I went in for my Big 4 interviews, partners asked a lot of personality type questions. Nothing about my knowledge of accounting/auditing. My favorite was “What is your favorite movie?” They just want to guage if you fit in to the culture.

Like steggy said, definitely make human contact by calling numbers when they are listed. And definitely hit up all the recruiters you can.

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